Safeguarding Compliance Plan Consultant
Location: remote
Group/Practice/Unit: Grants and Contracts Office
Who We Are
IREX is a nonprofit organization committed to global development and education, focused on people and communities since 1968. Our organization was created to bridge geopolitical divides by fostering the exchange of scholars, teachers, students, and ideas. IREX became a leader in improving access to information technology, strengthening independent media, and empowering youth through education and leadership development. As global needs shifted, IREX brought this expertise to new regions—first Asia, then the Middle East and Africa, then Latin America. Throughout these decades of change, our focus on people and communities has been steady. Today, IREX and our partners work in more than 100 countries to build a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information.
Job Summary
USAID has recently updated the ADS 303 child safeguarding requirements. The M27. SAFEGUARDING AGAINST EXPLOITATION, SEXUAL ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE, AND CHILD NEGLECT (OCTOBER 2023) clause can be found at https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/303maa. Following these requirements, IREX plans to draft an institutional Safeguarding Compliance Plan and accompanying implementation roadmap for IREX staff, partners and subrecipients.
The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support for the integration of these requirements at the organizational level, to consolidate the work on Safeguarding Compliance Plan and prepare any instructions following ADS 303 guidance.
Responsibilities and Duties
The consultant is expected to conduct a review of existing IREX safeguarding policies, implementation guidelines, personnel training materials, subrecipient instructions and incident reporting mechanisms, and suggest updates to bring them into compliance with current USAID requirements per ADS 303, clause M27, if/as needed. This includes the following activities:- Finalizing the draft institutional Safeguarding Compliance Plan
- Creating a template Project Compliance Plan for use by USAID funded programs over $500,000
- Creating a checklist and detailed incident reporting flowchart to ensure awareness of and timely adherence to the institutional Safeguarding Compliance Plan by IREX personnel (as defined in safeguarding policy) and subrecipients for use during onboarding and orientation activities.
- Drafting instructions for investigation of reported allegations of exploitation, sexual abuse, child abuse, and child neglect and make concrete recommendations to strengthen existing reporting mechanisms and incident reporting forms.
- Updating existing institutional and project-based implementation guidelines for IREX subrecipients and partners related to procedures to prevent, detect, address, and respond to allegations of exploitation, sexual abuse, child abuse, and child neglect, with a particular focus on community engagement.
- Other activities as assigned in collaboration with the IREX Safeguarding Working Group.
Qualifications and Skills
- Proven knowledge and expertise in the areas of safeguarding from exploitation, sexual abuse, child abuse, and child neglect in the global development sector, including USAID funded activities.
- Demonstrated experience in translating safeguarding standards and policies into actionable practices and procedures within institutions of diverse size and capacity that effectively enable their personnel to prevent, detect, address, and respond to allegations of exploitation, sexual abuse, child abuse and child neglect.
- Degree in global development, social sciences, social work, human rights, or law, preferably with a focus on protection/ child protection/ child rights. Relevant experience may compensate for lack of formal educational background.
- Demonstrated familiarity with USAID requirements and USAID funded projects in diverse operating contexts around the world.
- English language fluency is required, including the ability to provide written reporting in English.
- Timeframe
The timeframe for this consultancy is estimated to be up to 25 days.
Click on “Apply” above to submit your CV along with a cover letter that summarizes your experience and includes your $ daily rate requirements.
This position is eligible for Remote work.
IREX reserves the right to review and select candidates before or after this deadline at its sole discretion. Shortlisted candidates will be subject to a verbal interview. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.